• Before you start drinking make sure you eat before and while you drink. This will help you reduce your risk of alcohol impairment and poisoning.
• Go ahead and have some drinks, but keep the drinking under control. Set your own pace. Be aware that when you’re with people who tend to drink more or faster, you may follow their lead without realizing it. Keep track of your drinks. Finish each drink before starting another one.
• When drinking alone at home, don't drink a lot. One beer or glass of wine is okay, but don't overdo it for safety reasons. Because if something were to happen to you when you drink alone, there is no one there to help you.
• If you do invite friends over to your house and have some drinks, have fun, but drink in moderation. Make sure that at least one person will be lightly drinking or not drinking at all for safety reasons. Have snacks and water at hand so you can keep yourself full and hydrated.
• When drinking at a restaurant, stick to a few drinks. You don't want to become loud or sloppy at a restaurant. This is not really for safety reasons but for your own reputation.
• Have a soft drink, juice or water between drinks and before you stop drinking. This will also help your body stay hydrated. Dehydration is one of the reasons you get a hangover.
• Alcohol affects your body in many different ways. Don’t add other legal or illegal drugs into the mix. The results are unpredictable and dangerous.
• Be aware of how much your friends are drinking and how they are getting home. If you are with a friend and they are drunk, don’t leave them with someone they don’t know. They may protest but they will thank you when they are sober.
• Lastly the mother of all rules, do not drink and drive. Make sure you have a designated driver or money to call a cab.

What to do in case of an emergency
Someone who you are with, drank a lot and seems confused or falls asleep, they may be suffering from alcohol poisoning. Know the signs and what to do:

• If they pass out or appear to fall asleep, pinch their skin to see if they react or wake up. Check their skin if it feels cold and clammy or if it looks pale.
• Count the breaths. See if they breathe less than 8 times in a minute (slow breathing);
• Check to see if breaths are more than 10 seconds apart (irregular breathing);
• If they are vomiting, sit them up straight so they don’t choke.
• Watch for seizures. Binge drinking can cause a seizure, even in people who do not suffer from epileptic attacks
• Never leave them alone. So putting them in bed to “sleep it off” is a very bad idea. Keep them in the upright position. 

If you see any of the above signs, call an ambulance. If you are not sure, call anyway!